TAA Camel humps introduction?

[Richard H.]

Can anyone advise me when the first TAA aircraft to wear the 1980's orange/blue 'camel humps' livery entered service?
I flew TAA MEL-ADL back in February 1981 and have a vague memory of the aircraft operating in the new livery.
I just want to see if that is wishful thinking planting a false memory, or if there is a chance that it might be true!

[Ryan K]

Hi Richard.

The first A300's entered service from July, 1981 and these had the new 'camel hump' livery. I don't know if any of the DC-9's or 727's would have done in February though. I am fairly sure the new livery came with arrival of the A300.

Cheers.

[Andi O]

Quoting "Contested Skies" by John Gunn:

The first aircraft to appear in the new livery was B727 VH-TBL on 12th November 1980

[Richard H.]

Aha! Thanks Andi!
I wondered if any B727s and/or DC-9s beat the A300s into service in the new scheme.
So it is not impossible then...

[Grahame Hutchison]

This may help ?

Trans Australia B727-200 VH-TB? in August 1982 and yet another livery. This is how we would sit on the fence and photograph, this
was my cousin.


TAA DC9-31 VH-TJS in October 1981 with a good view of what the International Terminal looked like originally.


Trans Australia A300B4 VH-TAD in November 1982, the first wide body aircraft in domestic service. One was leased to Air Nuigini for a
while to manage fleet capacity.

[Ryan K]

Fantastic photos Grahame!

[Jaryd stock]

Great photo's Grahame. To me this is the best Austrailan livery ever closely followed by Qantas's Ochere Scheme.....
That first photo Grahame is that Guy on a ladder or is that fence hight back then ?

[Grahame Hutchison]

Hi Jaryd, That is my cousin sitting on top of the fence on the eastern side of 16R out along the bay. It was timber and plastic mesh, only about 6ft high, and security was almost non-existant back then. We would photograph sitting on top of the fence.

[Noel White]

It was timber and plastic mesh, only about 6ft high

The fence was put there to stop boating families pulling up on the beach on the eastern side of the Botany Bay extension and having a picnic on the grass next to the runway.

The plan was erect the usual ICAO approved chain wire fence with three strands of barb wire to control access. However, the engineers overruled that idea due to the long metal fence could have some effect on the ILS for RW16 (there was no L or R in those days).

The eastern sea wall was never completed on the extension because there was a possibility that a close space parallel runway would be built there.

That all change when the wide space parallel R/W was built and the whole area was surrounded by the concrete seawall.

So ends today's history lesson.

[James S.]

If only we could have that today.....